MT-10.

Probably the most eye-catching and exciting motorcycle at EICMA 2015, the sharp and edgy MT-10 is actually a naked version of Yamaha’s awesome YZF R1. It is powered by a reworked 998-cc in-line four with the crossplane crankshaft. Output figures remain shrouded in mystery, unfortunately. The MT-10, like a host of other motorcycles across manufacturers, gets the benefit of ride-by-wire, which is further shored up with selectable power modes, traction control and so on. However, the inertial measurement units of the range-topping R1 will not be seen in the electronics package of the MT-10. Although the bike doesn’t look like it’s headed for India anytime soon, it will surely catch a whole lot of eyeballs and swing them Yamaha’s way if the Indian arm of the MotoGP world championship winning manufacturer do decide to take the bold step.

XDiavel.

While the Scrambler Sixty2 was busy making headlines in emerging markets, the star of the Ducati stall at the EICMA had to be the XDiavel. Unlike the regular Diavel, which gets an 1,198.4-cc L-twin, the XDiavel gets Ducati’s 1,262-cc liquid-cooled L-twin. Paradoxically, the larger engine is down on peak power by six PS and has nearly two Nm less torque as well (156 PS and 128.9 Nm compared to the Diavel’s 162 PS and 130.5 Nm). Ducati, however, say that the XDiavel’s purpose is to merge the parallel worlds of relaxed cruising and sporty riding. Remarkably, the XDiavel is the first motorcycle to bear the Ducati name and combine it with a belt drive. Needless to say, the bike boasts of a host of cutting-edge technologies. At the moment it’s unclear whether the XDiavel will come to India but if it does, it sure is going to find its own fan following pretty soon.

MIDSIZE ROLE PLAYER.

The naked standard motorcycle category appears to have finally taken hold in the US, due in large part to the sales success of Yamaha’s bombshell FZ-09. After Suzuki’s challenge to the Yamaha triple (“Budget Blasters,” October/November 2015), now Kawasaki is jumping into the middleweight standard fray by bringing its Z800 ABS to the US market for 2016. Well, 49 states for now; California residents unfortunately won’t get the bike yet due to the added emissions requirements. Available since 2013 in other markets, the Z800 is powered by a liquidcooled, DOHC, 806cc inline-four that is basically a bored-out, upgraded version of the old Z750 engine. A 2.6mm-larger bore with 10-percent-lighter pistons getting cooled by larger oil jets, revised intake/exhaust ports, longer intake manifolds, and a staggered intake funnel setup along with 2mm-larger throttle bodies (now 34mm) boosts peak horsepower by a claimed 6 hp to a 111 hp peak in European tune (Kawasaki USA wasn’t listing power figures). Longer exhaust header pipes with equalizer tubes between cylinders and an exhaust valve in the under-engine chamber help midrange power. The European press has had plenty of good things to say about the Z800’s engine, and after a day spent riding in the streets of Palm Springs and up in the canyons of the San Jacinto mountain range, we’d heartily agree. There’s plenty of responsive low-end and midrange acceleration, aided in part by the change to a two-teeth-larger rear sprocket. While not quite up to the sprightly FZ-09 as far as overall power in the bottom half of the rev range, the Kawasaki towers over the GSX-S750 when it comes to response from the engine room. Power continues to build as rpm rises into the five-digit zone before tapering off slightly as the Z800’s engine approaches its rev limiter around 12,000 rpm, but there’s enough top-end power to be had without revving it that far, and wheelies are but a clutch-snap away. The Z750’s steel backbone frame was revised with two bolt-on aluminum subframe sections that allow the Z800’s front engine mounts to be positioned behind the cylinders. While Kawasaki says this allows the vibration from the inline-four to be isolated more effectively, some vibes can definitely be felt through the handlebar and footpegs above 7,500 rpm. Nonetheless, the Z800 has a nice, neutral yet fairly agile feel in the corners, with only a little effort required to fl ick the bike into a corner. Line changes in midcorner are easily accomplished with zero drama, and the stock Dunlop OEM-spec D214 Sportmax tires display good grip and light steering characteristics. There’s plenty of ground clearance, and the standard KYB suspension components on the Kawasaki-a 43mm inverted fork (adjustable for spring preload on one side and rebound damping on the other) and single rear shock (also adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping)-provide good wheel and chassis control even when the pace heats up. The ride is a little firm for pothole-ridden urban tarmac and highway superslab but nothing drastic. Despite the budget-looking standard-mount two-piece Nissin calipers, the brakes work well. Response is a little fl at, but power and feel are surprisingly good, with the 310mm discs likely helping by providing good leverage for the calipers. And the standard Nissin ABS works well too, with a fairly high intervention point and transparent action overall. Probably a good thing, as those brakes need to slow down around 509 pounds with a full fuel tank; even though it carries that weight well, the Z800’s heft is our only real gripe with the Kawasaki. Ergos are average standard bike fare, with a slight sporty cant to your upper torso offsetting the windblast. At $8,399, the Kawasaki Z800 ABS is a touch more expensive than the non-ABS-equipped Yamaha FZ-09 ($8,190) or the Suzuki GSX-S750 ($7,999 for the base model). But its solid performance definitely makes it worth a look in the middleweight standard category.